A girl, enamored: These streets will make you feel brand new..

I was recently gifted a little fall getaway, gastronomic journey, and touristy adventure to the big apple by an incredibly generous friend! I'm thinking of affectionately re-naming NYC the Big Kitchen..because all I manage to do is eat while I am there. Because of my love of food this trip is going to require two posts: one of adventure and another simply for food. Let's start with food since I have been drooling over the photos all morning!

D recently moved to Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY and graciously worked his tail off to sample the local fare and create an amazing gastronomic tour before my arrival. Note the menus on the bench. This happened everywhere we went so that we could constantly refer to them (and sometimes order more).

I think that this photo is hysterical because it is truly the only one taken of us from the entire weekend. I also didn't take any pictures with my long lost friends I got to visit. We joked that if they had food in their hands they may have made it into my album.

Friday

Let's begin...

I arrived in Park Slope disoriented and sleepy and starving after a long day of travel so we set out for a stroll in the area to grab a snack to hold us over until dinner. We found Bareburger! This place is natural, organic and seemingly sustainable. Throughout the tiny cafe were examples of recycled art and repurposed furniture. Little plaques were scattered about explaining the materials used and how they were sustainable choices.

Bareburger

This is the ostrich slider. Other options were beef, turkey, lamb, elk or bison. There were three sliders and some delicious fresh-cut fries with three fancy dipping sauces. Ostrich is a little gamey and reminded me of sausage in texture and flavor. Delicious in combination but probably not the first I would order next time.

Reservations for the evening were at Stone Park Cafe which D has decided is his "New Bistro C.V." This is the perfect compliment for the charming corner cafe.

Heirloom Beet Salad with frisée, toasted hazelnuts, crème fraiche vinaigrette...hazelnuts? Are you kidding?!

Short Rib Slider with a quail egg, creamed spinach, housemade potato roll...spectacularly rich! (these short ribs to be seen again in a different form later)

Grilled Baby Octopus with Spanish chorizo, fingerling potatoes, preserved lemon...I am going to start preserving lemon following multiple influences on this trip. (see a different take on octopus later)

**I just realized that I missed a photo op on the pasta course! If you know me and pasta, you also know that I attacked it and the camera didn't stand a chance. Bummer, while delicious!

Dessert: Chocolate Brioche Pudding- caramel ice cream...caramel flavor was a little burnt but..HOLY!!!

I love wine, especially when paired well with a meal, but I never remember what it is so I try to keep track this way. Mmmmm

SATURDAY

D's new place is still mostly empty so we were waiting for a sofa bed to be delivered Saturday morning. We had to be nearby for the delivery so we headed a few blocks to brunch at RoseWater which we had walked past the night before.

Brunch in New York is a standard. Most of the restaurants

that serve dinner in the city are also open for brunch on the weekend. While I've been taught to be wary of brunch (Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, which I hope to actually read someday, points out that brunch in NY is merely Friday and Saturday's leftovers) I still love a heavy and late breakfast and I've certainly eaten worse so I'll suffer this time! Initially it was the greenhouse style patio seating that attracted me but the atmosphere of this place was so comfortable and welcoming. The tiny garden tables each had random blankets on the chairs for a chill in the air or just a comfy back rest (this will happen in my home someday).

Smoked striped bass cake, perfectly poached eggs, chipotle aioli and fennel salad. Pear bread on the side was so delicious!

This was a special so I don't quite remember except for sweet potato hash, fried eggs, pesto and house made sausage. LOVED the cornichons on the side!

Our dinner reservation on Saturday was at The Stanton Social on the Lower East Side. I was excited to go there, not only because I read the menu before but also because I know the area from staying with another friend there in the past. This place was amazing and defines the feel of New York in my mind; loud, chaotic, delicious.

Caesar salad bites: mini toast with caesar dressed greens and topped with a parmesan crisp.

Rhode Island style lobster roll with potato chips

Skillet Roasted Octopus, chorizo, garlic, sherry vinegar - told you it would be back! So we thought the first octopus dish was amazing until we tried this! The composition of this one was amazing and the flavors melded together so perfectly!

Potato and goat cheese pierogies with caramelized onions and truffle creme fraiche...the creme fraiche MADE these perfect but on their own they were rather simple.

Shrimp and grits

Chicken and waffles: brick pressed chicken, aged cheddar waffle, corn pudding, balsamic spiked maple syrup

Baily's or Guinness cake? with hmm..I'll have to think about this one..seems to have slipped my mind because the other dessert was the obvious game changer!

SIMPLY PHENOMENAL!!!
Peanut butter bon-bons with concord grape gelato...
HOLY COW..it doesn't all have to be so complicated, a simple pb&j dessert blew me away and is the winner of the weekend!

The evening ended with a long walk through the East Village and the Lower East Side, a random stop at a Japanese charity and arts event, a visit to "White Star" (21 Essex) for a cocktail and a visit with Justin at "The Tiki Bar" (Painkillers).

We're just in time for Justin time!! @PKNY

Conversation:

D: What are you gonna get?

J: Oh probably just a pina colada.

Me: Ooh that sounds good, me too!

...These are what arrived..all of the drinks here looked like this and some were on fire. It was about 100 inside and 50 outside. Paradise in the city!

SUNDAY

So back to that whole thing about brunch. You wouldn't realize Bourdain's accusations are true unless you returned for brunch to the place you just had dinner. Why would anyone do that in a city of a million restaurants? So, back to Stone Park Cafe...again. Another thing I learned about brunch in NY is that the blue laws require that no alcohol is sold before noon on Sundays. I wondered why it got busy so late when I was starving by 10am! Everyone showed up right as we had our post-brunch mimosas. We were all watching the finish of the NY marathon on tv so we didn't care.

Hangtown Fry: tempura oyster frittata, bacon, Vermont cheddar...lordy num num with sourdough toast!

LEFTOVERS! Remember the short rib slider we had on Friday night?

Short Rib Hash and Eggs: braised short rib, eggs any style

Our Sunday dinner reservations took us to a Japanese restaurant in Williamsburg called Zenkichi. This place can only be described as a zen funhouse! Check out the website and try to picture yourself there. Narrow hallways with strategically placed mirrors lead you through the maze that is Zenkichi. We were silently led by our server to a tiny intimate table enclosed by bamboo blinds. With each visit to our table, he greeted us and opened the curtain, closing it as he left. I realized just how much of a people watcher I am in that setting with no outside stimuli. I was forced to appreciate only the food and the company which obviously made me awkward. Me?! No!!!

We ordered the 8-course Omakase Tasting Menu which changes seasonally with available ingredients as well as a sake tasting to accompany.

Course 1: Miso soup..no photo, but I bet you know what it looks like!

Course 2: Chilled plate: baby scallop and kinoko, hamachi tartar, sashimi of the day, fancy little compliments of the chef salad

Course 3: Zenkichi salad - I have never had fresh tofu before, there is no reason to ever go back to store bought rubber! Now...how to I make fresh tofu..

Course 4: Autumn Kakiage Tempura: Japanese eggplant, pumpkin and shrimp

Course 5: Saikyo Miso Cod

Course 6: Simmered Fish of the Day: I forgot...

Course 7: Seared Duck Donburi

Course 8: Dessert: Suntory Yamazaki 12 years single malt whisky truffle, frozen black sesame mousse, grapefruit agar gelee
**BEST chocolate of the weekend and it was the size of a grape!

Monday

On Monday we wandered down the street after sleeping in a bit to The Perch Cafe for breakfast. Neat little place with a gorgeous garden in the back, unfortunately we didn't notice until after we finished breakfast inside.

Baked eggs with leeks and smoked salmon over fresh rosemary foccacia

Breakfast wrap with chicken apple sausage

Monday evening's dinner was at Al Di La, a nice little gem just around the corner with a quirky staff, fresh menu and cozy atmosphere.

Seppia and Oxtail: Stewed cuttlefish, oxtail, garlic and chilli over creamy polenta..so this was gorgeous when it came out. We were puzzled by the black tar-y goo and dug in immediately before I could capture it's beauty.